


belongs

by starquills



Series: Winterhawk Ficlets [1]
Category: Hawkeye (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Accidental Baby Acquisition, Baby Fic, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Clint Barton Feels, Clint Barton Needs a Hug, Deaf Clint Barton, Kid Fic, M/M, winterhawk - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-02
Updated: 2018-03-02
Packaged: 2019-03-25 21:07:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13843050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starquills/pseuds/starquills
Summary: Clint has convinced himself that the baby will only be able to stay for a night, regardless of whether he risked his life to save her or not. It’s not a long window of time, in the grand scheme of things, and yet Bucky can tell he’s falling in love with her already.





	belongs

She’s crying again, Bucky realises. And just like the previous three times that night, Clint is already clambering off the bed and stumbling towards the crib that they’d acquired just that morning.

Bucky frowns for a moment, thinking about how Clint woke even earlier than him, before he realises that his boyfriend has been sleeping with his hearing aids in, even though he really shouldn’t.

“I can take her, you know,” Bucky supplies, shuffling himself into a sitting position and squinting through the darkened room to where Clint is rocking the baby from side to side.

“It’s okay,” The blond mumbles, careful to keep him voice quiet so as not to disturb her more, “It’s only for tonight, anyway.” He says, but there’s something sad about the way he speaks it; reluctant to believe that it’s the truth, but not thinking he has any other choice about it.

Bucky scrubs a hand over one eye, and then scratches lazily at his jaw.

“C’mere,” He offers, patting the mattress beside him. It’s an invitation that he knows Clint will take quickly.

The archer settles down beside him softly, cradling the baby to his chest. She’s calming down nicely, now, sniffling slightly in his arms but seemingly content to rest there.

The brunet watches her eyelids flutter closed in silence, unable to help but smile at the way her features soften even more as she drifts back off to sleep.

Clint is leaning into his side as much as he can without disturbing the sleeping baby in his arms; their shoulders - one metal, one flesh - are pressed together downwards to their elbows. For now, that’s as much comfort as the blond is going to allow himself to take, Bucky can tell.

It’s because he thinks he’s landing them in a shitty situation. In reality, however, he can’t be blamed for it at all. Clint Barton will always be a sucker for helping those who need it, but are too stubborn or can’t manage to ask for it; it’s how him and Bucky came to be. It’s no surprise that he desperately wants to take in this tiny girl and offer her an entire world that may otherwise be out of her reach.

“You’re scared.” He states, because there’s no need for it to be a question. He knows it’s the truth.

“I -“ Clint opens his mouth to reply, and stutters our a syllable or two, but they don’t become anything more substantial. Instead, he closes his eyes and lets out a long breath through slightly trembling lips.

Bucky allows his arm to slip around Clint now, metal finger tips giving a steady pressure up his back and then coming to rest at the nape of his neck. He can feel the tension that Clint’s holding in his upper body there, shoulders drawn tight.

“You’re scared of how much you’ve fallen in love with her already. You want to protect her, and that’s okay.”

He lets out another shuddering breath and takes a moment to attempt to compose his thoughts. “I just want what’s gonna be best for her,” he reasons, but his voice betrays him, thick with the emotions that he wishes he wasn’t feeling. “She’ll get that, I’ll make sure of it.”

“What if that’s us?” Bucky asks gently, voice almost a whisper.

He feels the way that Clint becomes somehow tenser beneath his hold. “Please-“ he pauses a moment, throat bobbing. “Please don’t say things like that, Buck, we can’t - It’ll hurt too much when we have to say goodbye to her.“ Despite the words, the hope he’s allowing to rise within him is audible as he speaks.

Bucky is careful as he manoeuvres his arm again, slipping it beneath Clint’s where they’re cradling the baby.

She’s perfect, Bucky considers, realising how fond he’s become of her already, too. This little girl, with her smooth skin, dark lashes and tiny fists holding tightly onto the material of Clint’s t-shirt, fits so nicely where she is right there in that moment, looking so impossibly small against the arms holding her.

“It won’t be easy to start out with, we’re going to struggle and doubt and panic, but I think she belongs here,” Bucky feels the way Clint presses a little closer into his side. “With you.”

The blond’s eyes widen, his mind scrambling over so many thoughts at once.

“With us,” Bucky corrects smoothly after a moment, stroking a cool finger over her forehead. Her nose scrunches up at the drop in temperature compared to the warmth of Clint around her, but she sleeps on regardless.

“Really?” He asks, just to be sure. He needs the confirmation, before he can let himself get too far ahead of everything.

“I promise,” Bucky replies because it’s true, and exactly what his boyfriend needs to hear.

Clint nods a little too quickly and a few too many times, and the tension eases from his body. He curls himself a little closer to Bucky and allows himself to fix his sights properly on their daughter for the first time; he knows it won’t hurt, now, to let himself fall entirely in love with her.

**Author's Note:**

> I haven’t tried to write winterhawk before, despite loving them for a long while now. I’m trying, but I’m just starting out, so please tell me what you thought! Constructive criticism is always appreciated.


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